She’s been with the Seattle squad since day one, but is Vic Hughes leaving Station 19? Barrett Doss’ character found herself in trouble yet again, but this time, the consequences could be permanent.
Station 19 is ABC’s drama series following the personal and professional lives of a squad of firefighters at the Seattle Department’s Station 19. The series — which premiered in 2018 — is a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, which is also set in Seattle, Washington.
Victoria “Vic” Hughes, played by Barrett Doss, is one of six original characters still left on Station 19, along with Andrea “Andy” Herrera (played by Jaina Lee Ortiz); Dr. Benjamin “Ben” Warren (played by Jason George); Jack Gibson (played by Grey Damon); Travis Montgomery (played by Jay Hayden); and Maya Bishop (played by Danielle Savre.)
After almost six years on television, news broke in December 2023 that Station 19 was canceled and ending with its seventh and final season in 2024. “Grateful for an unforgettable run,” executive producer Shonda Rhimes said in an Instagram post at the time. “A heartfelt salute to the exceptional cast whose brilliance brought the characters to life and to the viewers who continued to make it possible! Thank you for the magic, the moments, and the memories. #station19.”
With Station 19 ending, fans have been curious to know about what will happen how the series will write out its characters (and who will live or die by the time of the series finale). Which brings us to Vic, a Station 19 fan favorite who could be the first cast member on the chopping block to depart the series. So is Vic Hughes leaving Station 19? Read on for what’s happened to Barrett Doss’ character so far and what we know.
Is Vic Hughes leaving Station 19?
Is Vic Hughes leaving Station 19? Station 19 sparked speculation that Vic, played by Barrett Doss, was leaving the series after the preview for Season 7, Episode 6, “With So Little To Be Sure Of,” which saw the aftermath of Vic crashing Mayor Robel Osman’s press conference taking credit for Station 19’s rescue of dozens of people from a fire at Seattle’s Space Needle.
During the press conference, Vic took the microphone away from the Mayor and told the cameras that she saved those people in the Space Needle using skills she learned at Crisis One, the program that the Mayor wanted to cut for budget reasons. Vic almost got physically in the Mayor’s face before she was restrained and pulled away from him, but not before her outburst was caught in front of a live audience.
In “With So Little To Be Sure Of,” firefighter Travis Montgomery scolds Vic for her behavior. “You took over a press conference in front of the Mayor!” Travis says, to which Captain Andy Herrera adds, “Chief and I are doing everything we can to make sure you keep your job but it’s up to the Mayor.”
The episode continues with Seattle Fire Department Chief Natasha Seo-Yeon Ross calling out the Mayor for wanting Vic gone. “It’s your ego. That’s why you want to fire Hughes.” The mayor later tells the Chief, “After Hughes is terminated, you can allocate her salary any way you see fit.”
The preview also showed Andy telling Vic that she couldn’t join them on an assignment because she was on probation for her behavior. “You can’t do it today, Hughes. You’re on probation,” Andy says. The preview ends with Andy and Travis discussing how they should tell Vic some difficult news. “I should just tell her just the facts. It would be easier,” Travis says as Vic walks into the room.
So is Vic Hughes leaving Station 19? While Station 19 hasn’t confirmed Vic’s exit, at the time of writing this, it’s possible that she could be fired from the squad as a way to write her off the series ahead of the Station 19 series finale. News broke in December 2023 that Station 19 was canceled by ABC and would be ending with its seventh and final season in 2024. Station 19 is expected to end with Season 7’s 10th episode at the end of May 2024, so it’s likely that the series is laying the groundwork for multiple cast exits before then.
In a similar vein, S.W.A.T., which was set to end with its seventh season in 2024 before it was uncancelled, saw the exits of two main cast members before what was supposed to be the series finale. If Vic is to leave Station 19, that doesn’t mean that she’ll be gone from our TV screens forever. In an interview with Deadline in March 2024, Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinins hinted that several Station 19 characters, such as Ben Warren and Carina DeLuca, could return to Station 19’s mother series, Grey’s Anatomy, after the firefighter show’s end.
“I haven’t read their last two episodes yet. I know generally where they’re going,” Marinis said. “What I can tell you is that the Bailey and Ben relationship will continue to cross over. Those two actors love crossing over and it’s very important to them that what they do over here and what they do over there, that it’s one symbiotic thing.”
